Feed-water regulator.



Np. 686,4l3.

Patented No'v. I2, |90|. a. u. MERRILL.

FEED WATER REGULATOR.

(Application filed Aug. 24, 1901.)

(No Model.)

ATTORNEYS mum THE NORRIS PEYERS UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRANT U. MERRILL, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

FEED-WATER'REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,413, dated November12, 1901.

I Application filed August 24, 1901. Serial No. 73,122. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, GRANT U. MERRILL, a citizen of the United States,residing in Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-WaterRegulators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the ac-, companying drawings, and to letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to automatic boilerfeeding devices, andespecially to that class in which an outside thermostat is used insteadof the usual float-operated mechanism.

The object of my present invention is to provide an automatic feed-waterregulator of simple, strong, and durable construction, perfectlyreliable in operation, and which can be readily and quickly attached toboilers or generators of any shape, make, or construction.

The invention consists in the improved automatic feed-water regulator,its thermostat, in thevalve controlling the supply-pipe leading to aninjectoror boiler feed-pump, and in the combination and arrangement ofthe various parts, substantially as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of aboiler provided with my improved'feed-water regulator, only suchportions being shown which are necessary to fully illustrate 'the'nature of my said invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged detail front elevation,partly in section, of the supplypipe-controllin g valve and itsauxiliary valve; and Fig. 3, an enlarged detail view of the top portionof the thermostat used in connection with my improved feed-waterregulator. I

In said drawings, a represents a boilerhaving the usual water-column band receiving the water-supply throughthe pipe 0, leading to an injectoror feed-water pump, which latter is not shown in the drawings, as itdoes not form a part of my invention. In the supply-pipe c is interposeda valve d, consisting of a valve-casing 9, having an interior valveseath, controlled by the valve 7 which latter is carried by the valve-stemj, suitably guided in the head or stuffing-boxk. The end portions of thevalve-casing g are surrounded by metallic straps m, in which are mountedthe parallel uprights n 01, supporting at or near their upper ends theoutwardlyprojecting slotted flanges or logs of a pistonoylinder o, inwhich is arranged the piston p. By having the projecting flanges or lugsof the piston-cylinder slotted and the uprights supported by themetallic straps supply-pipe valves of different lengths can be fitted.The piston-rod q of said piston 19 is in vertical alinement with andrests on the free end of the valve-stem j, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings. The uprightsn 'n likewise support a cross-arm r(penetrated by the piston-rod q) and adapted to be engaged by a nut s,which latter is adj ustably arranged on the screw-threaded portion ofsaid piston-rod q for the purpose of regulating the throw or movement ofthe piston 19 and the valve 11, respectively, as will be manifest. Itmay be well to remark that the valve 1' is held in normal positionthatis to say, on the valve-seat h-by means of the piston 19, in turncontrolled by the pressure of water introduced into the piston-cylinder0 through a pipe 15, which is connected, by means of an intermediateauxiliary valve f, with a source of water-supply a, such as citypressure, 850. The auxiliary valve f consists of a cylindrical shell orcasing 12 and headso' o and is provided with three ports w, w, and 'wThe port w, which is centrally arranged, is connected, preferably, by aflexible pipe or joint 1.0 with the pipe i, while the ports to and w areconnected, respectively, with the watersupplyu and exhaust or outlet.casing o is arrangeda valve to, having a stem :13 pivotally connected toan arm e, while the valve-easing proper is pivotally mounted on an arm6?. Said arms a and e are limited in their outward movement by means ofa rod e f, pivotally secured with one-end at or near the free end of thearm 8' and having its opposite end slotted and engaging the free end ofthe arm 2 The length of said outward movement of said arms can beregulated by means of an adjusting-screw e, as will be manifest. Thearms e and e are operated by means of the thermostat e, which consistsof In the valvea vertical tube 6 having its lower end connected by apipe 6 with the lower leg of the water-column b. On the upper end of thetube 6 is mounted a cross 6 from which leads a pipe a to thewater-column b and communicates with said water-column at a point orlevel indicating the normal water-line in the boiler. In the cross e issecured a block a, to which is fulcrumed a slotted arm e havingpivotally secured thereto the inner end of the arm e, heretoforementioned. A metallic spring I), secured with its free ends,respectively, to the arms 6 and 6, tends to give rigidity to said armsfor a purpose and in a manner hereinafter described. The tension of saidspring can be regulated by a set-screw 11*. Within the slotted arm 6 ispivotally arranged one end of a link or rod b having its lower endsecurely mounted in a cross I), which latter is arranged on the tube 6On the opposite portion of said cross I) is securely mounted one end ofan adjusting-link b the other end being pivotally secured to a forkedlever 19 which forms a part of the arm 6 and is fulcrumed, as at U, onthe tube 6 It must be remarked that the rod 19 the adjusting-link b andthe tube 6 are substantially parallel when in normal position and,further, that the bottom or lower end of the thermostat e must always beabove the normal water-linein the boiler. A thermometercup 0 containinga thermometer a is arranged in the cross 6 as best shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings.

So that the attendant can readily see that the valve "5 is closed oropen, an arm at is mounted on the valve-stemj and is connected, by meansof a cord or wire d passing over rollers or pulleys (1 (F, with afulcrumed pointer 9 registering on a dial 9, as will be manifest.

In operation when the water in the boiler falls below the normalwater-level steam from the water-column b enters through the pipe a intothe tube a of the thermostat e. Said tube becoming heated expands in alongitudinal direction, causing the arms e and e (on account of thevariouspivots and fulcrums) to be moved inwardlythat is to say, towardeach other. This movement operates the auxiliary valve f-that is to say,the valve 00 closes the port 10 and establishes communication betweenthe port to and the outlet or exhaust w, thus allowing the watercontained in the piston-cylinder 0 to flow through the pipe 15 into theexhaust or outlet w. The pressure having thus been removed from thepiston 19, the valve 6 will be raised from its seat by means of thepressure from the injector or feed-water pump, and water is accordinglyfed into the boiler through the supply-pipe c. The valve 2' remains openuntil the water in the boiler has risen to a height sufficient to closethe inlet of the pipe 6 thus shutting off any further steam-supply tothe thermostat e and allowing the cold water to flood the same. The saidthermostat will now rapidly cool, and thus return the arms e and e totheir respective normal positions, in which the communication betweenthe ports 20 and w in the auxiliary valve f is broken, and, on the otherhand, the communication between the ports 10 and 10 is established,which again allows the water of the supply 21. to flow in thepiston-cylinder o, and thereby reseat the valve t', as will beunderstood. It the fire is withdrawn, allowing the boiler to becomecold, the thermostat contracts to a greater degree, which naturallywould cause the arms a and e to spread in an abnormal manner, therebycausing breakage in some part of the auxiliary valve f. This spreadingof the arms is limited by the rod 6 causing the arm 6 to buckle at itsfulcrumed joint with the arm 6 When conditions are again normal, themetallic spring 1) brings the arm 6 back to operative position.

I do not intend to limit myself to the precise construction shown anddescribed, as various changes can be made without altering the scope ofmy invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination of afeed-controlling valve, the feed-pipe leading from a suitablefluid-supply and in which said valve is located, the fluid from saidsupply normally tending to open the valve, a fluid-conducting tubularstructure having an exhaust and also an inlet, the latter being adaptedto be also connected with said supply, a piston working in a part ofsaid tubular structure and connected to, and tending under actuation ofthe fluid in said structure to seat, said valve, and a valve arranged inanother part of said tubular structure and movable to simultaneouslyclose the inlet and open the exhaust, and Vice versa, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of afeed-water-supplypipe valve, an auxiliary valvefor controlling said supply-pipe valve, and a thermally-actuated devicefor operating said auxiliary valve, said device consisting of anexpansible tube, two arms or levers pivotally secured on said tube, androds likewise carried by said tube and pivotally connected with saidarms or levers, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a feed-water-supplypipe valve, athermally-actuated device, said device consisting of an expansiblemember, arms having pivotal connection with said member, and linksconnecting said arms and said member, a valve-casing carried by one ofsaid arms, a valve having its stem connected with the other arm, andoperative connecting means between said valve-casing and saidfeed-water-supply-pipe .valve, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a feed-water-supplypipe valve, athermally-actuated device, said device consisting of an expansiblemember, arms pivotally connected with said member, one of said armsbeing flexible, and links conneeting said arms and said member, avalvecasing carried by one of said arms, a valve having its stemconnected with the other arm, and operative connecting means betweensaid valve-casing and said feed-water-supply-pipe valve, substantiallyas described.

5. The combination with a steam boiler or generator and with itssupply-pipe, of a valve in said supply-pipe and normally closed byWater-pressure, an auxiliary valve controlling said water-pressure forthe supply-pipe valve and comprising a valve-casing and the valve properhaving a stem, two arms or levers pivotally connected with thevalve-stem and valve-casing, respectively, of the auxiliary valve, and athermostat for actuating said arms or levers, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination with a steam boiler or generator and with itssupply-pipe, of a valve in said supply-pipe, an auxiliary valvecontrolling said supply-pipe valve, a thermostat arranged above thenormal water-level in the steam boiler or generator and controlled bythe latter, two arms or levers pivotally connected with said thermostatand with the Valve-stem and valve-easing of the auxiliary valve,respectively, and means for regulating the movement of said arms orlevers, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a steam boiler or generator and with itssupply-pipe, of a valve in the supply-pipe, an auxiliary valvecontrolling said supply-pipe valve, a thermostat controlled by the steamboiler or generator, two arms or levers pivotally mounted on saidthermostat and having their other ends pivotally connected with thevalve-stem and valve-casing, respectively, of the auxiliary valve, oneof said arms or levers being jointed, and an adjustable spring forholding said jointed arm or lever in operative position, all said partssubstantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this23d day of August, 1901.

GRANT U. MERRILL. Witnesses:

ALFRED GARTNER, WM. D. BELL.

